Where is the Christian guided by Christ?

Jesus didn't mean what he said?

Meat Eating, Animal Protection and Good Friday Hansadutta das

Guest: I don't think God intended us to take "Thou shalt not kill" so literally. Hansadutta: What is the use of Jesus talking, if you are going to interpret everything he says? He must be intelligent enough to say what he means. Why should you assume that he did not mean what he said? It is disrespectful to make Jesus the object of everyone else's opinion. In that way the Bible becomes meaningless. more

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Bob Cohen: Prabhupada, people that engage in religions, like these Jesus freaks and other people, they claim that Jesus is guiding them. Can this be so?

Prabhupada: Yes. But they're not taking the guidance. Just like the Christians. Jesus guiding him, "Thou shalt not kill," but they're killing. Where is the Jesus guidance? Simply by saying, "I am guided by Jesus Christ," will do? "But I don't care for his words." Is that guidance? So nobody is being guided by Jesus Christ. They're falsely claiming. It is very hard to find out a man who is actually being guided by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ's guidance is open there, but nobody is caring for him. They have taken Jesus Christ as contractor to take up their sins. That is their philosophy. They commit all kinds of sins, and poor Jesus Christ will be responsible. That is their religion. Therefore they say, "We have got very good religion. For all our sinful activities, Jesus Christ will die." Very good religion. They have no sympathy for Jesus Christ. "Once he has died for our sins, why should we commit again sins? Such a great life has been sacrificed for our sins." That is guided by Jesus Christ. But if you take it otherwise—"We shall go on committing all sins, and Jesus Christ has made contract that he'll nullify all my sins. Simply I go to the church and confess, and come back and again do all nonsense"—do you think it is very good intelligence?

Bob Cohen: No.

Prabhupada: That you... Actually one is guided by Jesus Christ, he'll get liberation, certainly. But it is very hard to find out a man who is actually being guided by Jesus Christ.

Bob Cohen: What I think about is the Jesus freaks, the..., these people that, young people that have joined this Jesus movement, and they read the Bible very often, and they try to...

Prabhupada: But to read the Bible, but violate the Bible injunction, injunction. How they can kill if they are following the Bible?

Bob Cohen: I asked one. They said..., he said he claimed that Jesus was also eating meat in the Bible. But I don't know.

Prabhupada: But that's all right. He, he may eat anything. He's powerful. But he has ordered, "Thou shalt not kill." You must stop killing. He is powerful. He can eat the whole world. You cannot compare with Jesus Christ. You cannot imitate Jesus Christ. You shall have to abide by his order. That is your position. Then you are guided by Jesus Christ. That is actually obedience. You cannot imitate. That is explained in Bhagavata, that those who are ishvara, those who are empowered, they will do anything, but we cannot imitate. We have to abide by his order. "What he says to me, that I will do." You cannot imitate. If you say that "Jesus Christ ate meat," admitting that, in what condition he ate meat, if you do not know, then Jesus Christ is contradicting his statement. He's eating himself meat, and he's advising others not to kill. Do you think Jesus Christ is contradicting?

Bob Cohen: No.

Prabhupada: He cannot do that. That, that is real faith in Jesus, that he cannot do that. So "Why he has eaten meat, he knows, but he has asked me not to kill. I have to follow it." That is real Christianity. You are not Jesus Christ. You cannot imitate. He has sacrificed his life for God. Can you do that? So why you not fully imitate Jesus Christ? You are imitating Jesus Christ for eating meat. Why not imitate Jesus Christ, sacrifice your life for spreading God consciousness? What do you think, Kirtanananda?

Yes. When you preach, you can say all these things with so-called Christians. "So what you are doing for God?" Tejiyasam na doshaya [Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.33.29]. Just like sun. The sun is absorbing urine. Can you drink urine? If you want to imitate sun, "Oh, here is sun absorbing urine. Let me drink urine," can you? Tejiyasam na doshaya. He is powerful. He can do everything. Therefore we cannot imitate Him. We have to simply abide by His order. That is real Christian. You cannot imitate powerful man. That is wrong. Just like in our Vedic literature there was a poison ocean. So what... People became puzzled what to do with this—these demigods. Then Lord Shiva said, "All right. I'll drink it." So he drank the whole poison ocean and kept it in his throat, nilakantha. Now, you drink poison? Not the ocean. You drink one cup. So how you can imitate Lord Shiva? Lord Shiva never advised that we drink poison. So you have to abide by the advice, not by imitating, "Oh, Lord Shiva did it, so let me..." Just like this LSD and marijuana, they say sometimes, "Lord Shiva used to smoke ganja." They say like that. But Lord Shiva drank the whole poison ocean. Can you do that? Lord Shiva's instruction should be taken. He says, "The best worship is to worship Vishnu"—vishnu aradhanam param. When Shiva was asked by Parvati that "What method of worship is first-class?" Then he said, "The first-class worship is worshiping Lord Vishnu." Vishnu aradhanam param. Tasmat parataram devi tadiyanam aradhanam. He said the Vishnu worship is the best. There are many demigods, but he recommended, "Vishnu worship is the best." And the better than Vishnu worship is to worship Vaishnava. Tadiyanam aradhanam. Tadiya means His servant, or one who is, or what is in relationship with Him. Just like we are worshiping this plant, Tulasi. We are not worshiping all plants, but because this Tulasi has very intimate connection with Krishna and Vishnu, therefore we are worshiping. Tadiyanam aradhanam. Similarly, anything who is intimately related with Krishna, worship of that thing is better than worship of Vishnu, Krishna.

Bob Cohen: Why is that?

Prabhupada: Hm?

Bob Cohen: Why is that? Worshiping.... ?

Prabhupada: Because Krishna will be pleased. Just like if you have a dog, and some friend comes and pats your dog, you become pleased. You become pleased, "Ah, he is my good friend." We see all the time that some friend comes and friend's dog, the friend's greeting by first petting the dog. "My, you have got a nice dog," your friend says. [laughter]